United Nations commissioned three human rights experts on Tuesday deemed Paris 2024 security to be “unnecessary or disproportionate” while others “were discriminatory or even unlawful” in their report.
The three human rights experts, not speaking on behalf of the UN, advised France to carry out “an independent and impartial review” of the measurement deployed during the Games.
“French authorities took a number of reasonable measures to ensure that the Olympic Games were free from terrorist violence,” the experts said. “Yet, some security measures appeared to be unnecessary or disproportionate, while others were discriminatory or even unlawful.”
The French Ministry denied to comment on the report, noting that the country has faced significant terrorist threats in the recent past.
“Under international law, governments must act diligently to prevent threats to life posed by terrorism, but must always comply with human rights law,” the report said.
“In too many cases, security measures were seemingly applied in an indiscriminate or overbroad manner, that was not necessary or proportionate to meet any specific, evidence-based risks posed by particular individuals,” it added.
The report pointed at “unprecedented surveillance…including the use of drones and ‘algorithmic’ video tools with artificial intelligence”.
“We also found patterns of discriminatory policing, targeting individuals or groups for political views, religious affiliation or ethnic background,” the experts said.
Furthermore, the report said, the measures appeared to be aimed at preventing disruptive public protests.
“Some of the measures arbitrarily interfered with the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, as well as the rights to privacy, reputation and liberty, and to participate in cultural life.”
Some measures taken violated the French law, “as evidenced by the higher than usual number of annulments by the courts”.
“Excessive measures are not necessary for security – and can counterproductively fuel grievance narratives that lead to radicalisation,” the experts said.
Ben Saul, a Sydney University law professor and Special Rapporteur for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Colombian Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; and Alexandra Xanthaki, a law professor at Brunel University in London and UN Special Rapporteur on cultural rights signed the report.
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